PY2018 State Plan ModificationSECTION II(b)(3)and(4)
State Strategic Vision and Goals
Performance and Assessment
II.b.3 Performance Goals
Please refer to Appendix 1 for Idaho’s expected levels of performance. Per federal guidelines, some programs will be setting baseline performance levels during the first two years of this plan and therefore will not have expected levels to report. These baseline performance measures are indicated with a "0" or the word "baseline."
Subregulatory guidance addressing the two-year modification requirements for WIOA Combined State Plans addresses the ongoing ‘phase-in’ of negotiated targets for various programs. RSA TAC 18-01 notes that the two-year modification of the Combined State Plan for PYs 2018 and 2019 will utilize the same negotiated indicator targets that were used for PYs 2016 and 2017. Effectiveness in Serving Employers
II.b.4 Assessment
(4) Assessment
Describe how the State will assess the overall effectiveness of the workforce investment system in the State in relation to the strategic vision and goals stated above in sections (b)(1), (2), and (3) and how it will use the results of this assessment and other feedback to make continuous or quality improvements.
The State will initially use the indicators of performance outlined in Section 116 of WIOA to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of individual programs and the State’s workforce development system. These indicators are well aligned with the goals indicated above, and will allow our programs to measure how well they are serving participants and employers in both the short and long term. Progress toward these indicators will initially be evaluated against the performance targets negotiated by each program with their applicable federal agencies. As baseline data is collected and becomes available, the state will also measure the progress of the entire workforce development system through combined performance reporting.
Section 116 indicators for measurable skill gain will inform Idaho’s workforce providers how well participants are progressing while participating in the workforce development system, as well as their likelihood of success after exit. This information will help the state measure effectiveness against Goal 2 in part II.b.2: Facilitate development of an Idaho workforce that is highly skilled and committed to continuous learning. Specifically, indicators regarding measurable skill gain will be used to measure literacy skills improvement as well as technical and workplace skills development. Where applicable, these measures will help programs make real-time adjustments to ensure specific participants are making progress. They will also be used to guide program improvement efforts by providing more general information about how participants’ skills progress overall while enrolled in a program. In turn, this data will help the State evaluate the overall effectiveness of the workforce system in developing a highly-skilled workforce.
Section 116 indicators regarding employment after exit, enrollment in training or post-secondary programs, and credential obtainment will help the State’s workforce development system determine whether individual programs have adequately prepared participants for the demands of the workplace and/or continued education. These indicators will help programs measure the relevance and quality of their services in the context of the larger workforce system, which will help the State measure the system’s effectiveness against Goal 3: Support a comprehensive education and workforce delivery system.
Finally, the Section 116 indicator regarding employer satisfaction will help the State measure the relevance and usefulness of our workforce development system to employers and industries. This will help the state measure its effectiveness in meeting Goal 1: Promote policies that align workforce, education, economic development, and entrepreneurship to meet industry and employer’s workforce needs.
These indicators will be used to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of individual programs, as well as for the workforce development system as a whole. By comparing performance between core programs, we can identify ongoing gaps in service, as well as opportunities. For example, if one core program has consistently high outcomes in a certain area, while other core programs struggle, this will help the State identify areas for improvement while also helping to identify promising practices and strategies from those programs that are performing well. By evaluating individual programs in the context of the overall workforce system, the State will gain valuable information about how and where to improve both programs and the system as a whole. Additionally, as longitudinal performance data emerges for programs across the nation, Idaho’s workforce development system can compare performance to states with similar economic and demographic characteristics. These benchmarks will also provide opportunities to identify potential innovative approaches to incorporate in Idaho’s workforce system.
The Statewide Annual Report will be submitted to the Workforce Development Council. This report will contain data regarding the indicators of performance outlined in Section 116 for individual programs, as well as the workforce development systems overall performance, in order to measure effectiveness against the goals and vision stated previously in parts II.b.1 and II.b.2 of this plan. This report may also include, as appropriate, additional contextual information to help the Council assess program performance, such as labor force participation rates for various populations, changes in labor market data, and other program information for interpreting performance outcomes and guiding program improvement.
The results of these assessments and reports will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of Idaho’s workforce development system and guide program improvement efforts. To the extent that identified gaps and areas of improvement result from insufficient alignment between agencies and policies at the state level, such improvement efforts will be undertaken by state staff representing core programs, with guidance by the Council and the WIOA Advisory Group (identified in part II.c.2 of this plan). These efforts will include as appropriate revising existing policies, and issuing clarified guidance to the field about policies, partnerships, and best practices.
Program improvement at the local level will be overseen by the agencies responsible for administering those programs. These efforts will include, as appropriate and authorized by each Title, on-site monitoring and evaluation, targeted technical assistance, professional development, and corrective action plans. The consequences for continued poor performance will be determined by each agency, as authorized under each Title and outlined within the respective State Plans for each program.
The When available, the results of such local and statewide improvement efforts will be recorded and reported as part of the State’s annual report to the Workforce Development Council.
1